Seahawk History

Why The Seahawks?

The origin of The University of North Carolina at Wilmington's mascot is an interesting one.

According to brothers Gene and James Warren, who were members of the first student council at Wilmington College, the nickname was selected in 1947. A five-man student council was convened to secure a nickname and school colors for the college's first athletic teams.

As a result, the nickname "Seahawks" was chosen because of the popularity of the Iowa Seahawks, a pre flight service team coached by former University of Minnesota head coach Bernie Berman. Iowa was known for its excellent athletic teams at the time, and the moniker fit Wilmington College well because of its proximity to the water.

With a mascot chosen, attention was then directed to the colors. At the suggestion of art instructor Emma Lawson, the council tabbed green and gold for the colors. Green because of the color of the ocean and gold because of the aura of the nearby sandy beaches.

In late spring of 1992, a secondary color, navy blue, was added at the recommendation of Athletic Director Paul A. Miller.

History Of The Logo

Through the years, the Seahawk logo has been portrayed in various poses, with many of the birds in flight. It has been revamped five times during the course of the school's athletic history.

The bird has been flying up, flying down and strutting proud. It has resembled a parrot, an eagle and a falcon.

The first logo looked like a parrot and originated in the early 1950's. A second bird, sporting an attacking pos, appeared in the late 1960's and was used on many of the school's baseball uniforms.

The third logo, a soaring bird, made its debut during the 1973-74 term when Mel Gibson was hired as the school's men's basketball coach.

A fourth logo was introduced in 1986 at the suggestion of former Associate Athletic Director Jim Bass. Designed by Stagecraft, Inc., of Cincinnati, Ohio, it was used six years to represent the athletic program and featured a feisty, strutting bird with "UNCW" inscribed across a barreled chest.

The current logo is the creation of local artist Gary Longordo, who spent numerous hours refining it. The logo is a futuristic version of the Seahawk and features a masked bird, with a wave incorporated into the unique drawing.